Methods are known in this art for making certain borane compounds. Previous methods for synthesis of dodecahydrododecaborates involve reactions of diborane with metal tetrahydroborates, or pyrolysis of borane complexes.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,265,737, 3,169,045 and 3,328,134 disclose preparing B12H122- by condensing diborane with tetrahydroborates in the pressure vessels: “A process for preparing alkali metal and alkaline earth metal dodecahydrododecaborates which comprises reacting                a) diborane        b) a tetrahydroborate selected from the class consisting of alkali metal tetrahydroborates and alkaline earth tetrahydroborates, and        c) a compound selected from those of the formulas consisting of RO(CH2CH2O)R′, R′SR′, RR′R″ N and RR′R″ P . . . at a temperature of at least 120C in the substantial absence of oxygen and water and a pressure of about one atmosphere”        
Another group of methods comprise reacting various boranes with L.BH3 complexes. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,961,017 describes a process for the synthesis of Na2B12H12 using diborane adduct, dimethylsulfideborane: “A process for preparing an alkali metal dodecahydrododecaborate which comprises reacting . . . alkali metal hydride with dimethylsulfideborane . . . ”. Czech Patent No. 238254 provides a process based on thermal decomposition of borane-triethylamine complex in the presence of metal tetrahydroborates: “A process for preparing an alkali metal dodecahydrododecaborate which comprises reacting . . . alkali metal hydride with triethylamine borane at 220-250 C. . . ”
Other methods are disclosed in Miller, H. C.; Muetterties, E. L. U.S. Pat. No. 3,555,261; Ashby, E. C. U.S. Pat. No. 3,257,455; Sivaev, I. B.; Bregadze, V. I.; Sjoberg, S. Collect. Czech. Chem. Commun., 2002, 679; Miller, H. C.; Miller, N. E.; Muetterties, E. L. Inorganic Chemistry, 1964, 1456; Kyllonen, D. M. U.S. Pat. No. 2,969,274, 1961
The disclosure of all of the previously identified references is hereby incorporated by reference. Such incorporation shall not be an admission that these references are prior art against any claims appended hereto.